Loyola heads to NAIA women’s tournament at No. 4 seed

The Loyola women’s basketball team will once again make the trip to Billings, Montana, for the NAIA National Championships Tournament next week.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 16 Loyola Wolf Pack has become a mainstay in the NAIA tournament, and nothing changed this season. The NAIA announced on Wednesday Loyola earned a No. 4 seed in the 40th annual NAIA National Championship and it will play fifth-seeded William Penn Thursday, March 19, at 12:30 p.m. in Billings, Montana.

For the entire bracket, click here.

The Wolf Pack relied on automatic bids thanks to six straight years of Southern States Athletic Conference regular-season or tournament titles, but this year they earned an at-large bid to mark the seventh straight tournament appearance.

Every game of the national tournament, which runs March 18-24, will be played at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark in Billings. It’s Loyola’s 12th appearance in the tournament as well, and they’ve put together a 5-11 record in their 11 prior trips.

Three SSAC foes also made the tournament field, as Bethel and Martin Methodist will join the Pack in Montana.

Also, the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll was released Wednesday, and Loyola was ranked No. 16 for the third consecutive poll. The Wolf Pack has now been ranked in 49 of the last 59 NAIA Top 25 polls, and it’s the 11th straight appearance in a poll.

The Wolf Pack finished the regular season and the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship tournament with a 21-7 overall record, marking the seventh straight season with at least 20 wins. Their 13 SSAC wins during the regular season was also the seventh consecutive season with at least that many.

You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com

WOLF PACK HEAD COACH KELLIE KENNEDY
“We are excited about the challenge of the national tournament and the opportunity to match up against William Penn, who we haven’t played in my tenure at Loyola. This group is just eager to have another opportunity to play!”